Fall is my favorite time of year. I love everything about it: the sunny cool weather, ever-earlier dusk, the yellow, gold and red colors of fall foliage (well, at least the crape myrtles get with the autumn program) and the way that pumpkin magically appears on menus on October 1.

The iconic orange pumpkin makes many of us nostalgic for Halloween, but there is more to pumpkins than just carving them up. For those of you whose interest is piqued by pumpkin-flavored food and drink, here are a few suggestions.

Pumpkin on the fork
  • Not new to Philippe — but new to his executive chef title — Manual Pucha knows that pumpkin gnocchi will whet appetites at Philippe Restaurant.
  • Over at Sparrow, chef Monica Pope utilizes pumpkin in pumpkin gratins, pumpkin soups,  even dal (an Indian-style stew made with lentils).
  • Jonathan Jones at Monarch in Hotel ZaZa prefers to serve a Texas roasted pumpkin salad (shown at top) made of baby lettuces, candied pecans, Texas goat cheese and a pumpkin vinaigrette.
  • If it’s the pumpkin seeds that lure you in, Amazon Grill has a recent menu revamp including their guacumami – specialty guacamole that combines  avocado, roasted garlic, sundried tomato, parmesan and pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds).

At La Griglia, pumpkin seed-crusted trout comes with a side of a very autumn-inspired side: sage, cranberries, butternut squash and fennel succotash.

 

Pumpkin on the rocks
  • 1379792_414229028677222_1603265257_nWe saw it on Facebook: El Gran Malo‘s  pumpkin julep (photo at left, featuring pumpkin spice and cinnamon-vanilla infused tequila) had our mouths watering.
  • TQLA infuses flavors like cinnamon, cardamom, clove and caramelized pumpkin into Corralejo Reposado tequila — and shakes it with pumpkin puree, Cointreau, lime juice and agave nectar for an autumn take on a margarita. Or, in other words, to possibly present you with flavor overload and get you a real good buzz about two sips in.
  • At Ninfa’s on Navigation, chef Alex Padilla uses a house-made pumpkin puree made with pumpkin, butternut squash, citrus, ginger and cinnamon and shakes it with Espolon Blanco tequila, lime juice and Gran Gala orange liquor. As if that seasonal cocktail doesn’t pack enough punch, it’s served with a float of Gran Mariner, just for kicks.

 

Pumpkin plates for the sweet tooth
  • Latin Bites‘ crispy pumpkin picarones (fritters) are a traditional Peruvian treat. Think sweet potatoes and pumpkin, mashed and formed into doughnut-like shapes, then deep fried.
  • Some people beeline straight for cheesecake. If you’re one of them, take note: Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse has pumpkin-spiced cheesecake with a graham cracker crust and drizzled with butterscotch sauce on the menu.
  • The same goes for the bread pudding cult — it seems that the debate (should it be soft and fluffy like pudding, or should it be dense and thick like bread?) won’t end with Brasserie 19‘s seasonal version: The pumpkin bread pudding is served with toasted pecans and a caramel sauce, and then topped with Trentino’s cinnamon gelato.